The engagement reportedly took place in Kursk Region amid Kiev’s ongoing incursion
A video circulating online purports to show a Lancet kamikaze drone strike on a Ukrainian main battle tank, which proceeds to burst into flames. According to the clip’s creators, the incident took place in Russia’s Kursk Region.
Kiev sent thousands of troops across Ukraine’s northern border in August, claiming that the operation would undermine Russian advances in the east and give it a stronger position in future peace talks. However, the invading forces have lost over 200 tanks in the operation, in addition to hundreds of other types of heavy weaponry, and have suffered over 33,600 casualties, according to Russian Defense Ministry estimates.
The fate of one of the invading military vehicles is reportedly shown in the video, which was published on a pro-Russian Telegram channel on Sunday. It was apparently filmed using a stationary camera, as opposed to a reconnaissance drone, which is more typical for battlefield footage from the conflict.
The short clip shows a tank stopped on a road in a snow-covered location, which also includes a couple of damaged cars and some destroyed buildings. What appears to be a Lancet loitering munition hits its turret. Shortly afterward, it catches fire and burns out from the inside, with flames bursting from the main cannon.
The crew may have exited the tank before the strike, as suggested by its open hatchet. Kamikaze drones are routinely used against damaged or abandoned military equipment in the war zone to deny the enemy an opportunity to recover and repair their units.
RT was unable to verify the location where the footage was shot. Lancet drones, which have a distinct visual profile thanks to their X-shaped wings, are only used by Russia in the Ukraine conflict.